


Aurora

by glittery skeleton (raynon)



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Charlie's Perspective, Multi, Twilight Re-write, all the twilight dads can be a little bi. as a treat. <3, father-daughter bonding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29344695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raynon/pseuds/glittery%20skeleton
Summary: A re-imagining (wow, real original, i know) of Twilight, told through Charlie's eyes and how he falls for the mysterious town doctor while trying to protect his daughter.
Relationships: Carlisle Cullen/Charlie Swan, Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen/Charlie Swan
Comments: 19
Kudos: 38





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> so this was originally started on fanfiction (roast me), and idk i've been thinking more about it. i've been posting a lot of fics specifically for me recently, and i figured i'd give this another shot. because hot dads deserve rights.
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoy! <3

I never tried to think too often as to how I would die. One of the ways I least expected to go, though, was far beyond my wildest nightmares.

I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked  pleasantly back at me.

Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved. Someone I never expected to love. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.

I knew that if I'd never tread so deeply into secrets that were never meant for people, I wouldn't be facing death now. But, terrified as I was, I couldn't bring myself to regret the decision. When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end.

The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me. All I could think about, in that moment, was to beg any higher power that my daughter could forgive me for leaving her.


	2. reunion

Thankfully, the small town of Forks, Washington didn’t have a high crime rate. The radios were quiet the day I went to pick Bella up from the airport. I knew she hated this town, she made that abundantly clear three years ago when she refused to come here for our annual vacation. We went to California instead. I can’t say I blamed her, though, Forks was a cold town and the poor girl hardly has any meat on her bones.

I still wished she could love this town like I do. It’s all I have, at this point.

When I saw her come off the plane, the grey skies seemed a little brighter. I was quick to rush close after she stumbled on the bottom stair, and it ended up turning into a hug more awkward than I’d hoped. When she was upright, I took one of her bags. “It’s good to see you, Bells,” I told her, “You haven’t changed. How’s Renée?”

I could already tell by her vacant expression that she was disappointed I brought the cruiser to take her back home. She tried to smile anyway. "Mom's fine. It's good to see you, too, Dad."

I wanted to ask more about her mother, about Phoenix, about Phil, her new fiancé, but I know that would only end in an aching chest. I didn’t want to make anything worse for Bella here, especially on her first day living here.

When all her things were in the trunk, I started up the car and began the hour-trip back to Forks. Since the radio remained off, the quiet was equal parts tense and oddly comforting. I was just happy that Bella was here with me, despite whatever she must have been thinking.

“I found a good car for you, really cheap,” I told her, which perked me up with hope.

“What kind of car?” She sounded suspicious, at first.

“Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy.”

“Where did you find it?”

“Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?” La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast.

“No.”

“He used to go fishing with us during the summer,” I reminded her, but I figured fishing wasn’t the most endearing of her memories. “He's in a wheelchair now,” I continued when she looked out the window in silence, "so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap."

“What year is it?”

This was the part I was nervous about. “Well, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine — it's only a few years old, really.”

“When did he buy it?” She didn’t seem to have that much trust, but the only reason I was trying to be vague was because it probably didn’t look the way she’d like.

“He bought it in 1984, I think.”

“Did he buy it new?”

“Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties — or late fifties at the earliest,” I admitted, straightening my back.

“Ch — Dad, I don't really know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic…”

“Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore.”

The first thing I thought about when I looked for a vehicle for her was that it was safe, and that’s what she got from me.

“How cheap is cheap?” she asked, as if she expected to pay me back or something.

“Well, honey, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift.” I smiled at her

“You didn't need to do that, Dad. I was going to buy myself a car.”

“I don't mind. I want you to be happy here.” As much as I wanted to look at her when I said that, I did need to watch the road. Upon reflection of how I said that, though, I probably could have been more sincere. The message was what was most important, I hoped she knew. 

“That's really nice, Dad. Thanks. I really appreciate it.” At least I had that from her. One thing that she wasn’t miserable about.

“Well, now, you're welcome,” I was truly relieved. I knew Bella never asked for much and didn’t complain, but it was going to be difficult for her to adjust to the new environment. I understood that well enough.

The rest of our talk was rather simple; she asked me if the weather was always this wet. It was. For a girl so pale, I didn’t expect her to miss the sun so much. She did comment on how beautiful the trees were, though. That was the best thing Forks was known for.

When we finally made it back home, Bella was met with some familiarity. It was the house I’d bought with her mother, for the short time that we were married, but I never found myself to leave it. Over the years, the more that Bella had stayed and made her room her own, a room I didn’t dare to change at all, it was more of a comfort to me. It was less sad, anyway.

Bella’s eyes caught sight of the truck we talked about, parked right beside the curb. It was a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. Her eyes lit up as she looked at it up close, running her hand over the hood. “Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!”

I gave a quiet sigh of relief and nodded to her. “I’m glad you like it.”

It only took one trip to get all of her things upstairs. Bella’s always had the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard, ever since she was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellowed lace curtains around the window — the colors were Renée’s decisions and I didn’t have the heart to change them. She had a desk, now, that held a secondhand computer, with the phone line for the modem stapled along the floor to the nearest phone jack. The oldest thing in her room was the rocking chair in the corner, which I’d thrifted when she was a baby. I kept telling myself I was going to sell it, but I kept forgetting.

Bella was seventeen now, she didn’t need me to hang around and help her get settled in. When I left her to unpack and make herself comfortable, I finished the rest of the dusting downstairs and started an easy dinner -- Salisbury steak with mac & cheese out of the box. Every so often, I’d hear her move around, most likely from her room to the bathroom, but she came down the stairs eventually and sat down at the kitchen.

I was never one to sleep very well to begin with, but worries especially kept me up that night. This wasn’t just a two-week vacation like always, Forks was Bella’s new life now. This hadn’t been her permanent residence since before she knew how to walk, and I was just afraid for her struggle to fit in here. The kids here were a little loud and weren’t too used to outsiders. The rain eventually was a useful enough white noise for me to doze off into a dreamless sleep. 

The fog was heavy in the morning, and I was up early, already dressed in uniform before I made breakfast. Worry already begot me, but I reminded myself how sturdy Bella’s new truck was. She’d be able to find her way to school just fine, even with the limited visibility. When she woke up, I’d already made her plate and made sure she knew the directions to the school before I had to leave her for the day.

The secretary could clearly see the worry etched into my face, and she put a cup of coffee in my hand and pat me on the shoulder. “Your daughter’s gonna be just fine, Chief,” she said with a bright smile. She was usually more of a stern woman, but she knew what to say and how to say it.

I still didn’t want to seem like I was too overcome with worry, so I nodded to her and just responded with a, “I know, Maud,” and I unlocked my office to get to work.

For the first hour, it was easy to zone out with the lack of activity going on. The distant tones of phones ringing and the coffee machine were an odd comfort to me, like a faint reminder that I kept stressing over nothing. The presence of Maud at my doorway made me jump slightly, and I chuckled to brush off how ridiculous I was being.

She adjusted her thick, square glasses before speaking. “Karen just called. She said she caught a shoplifter down at the sports outlet, and she wants you to take care of it.”

I let out a deep sigh. “She didn’t hurt them, did she?” I felt compelled to ask; Karen Newton did like to show people that she was a tough business owner, no matter how much she didn’t need to.

Maud gave a shrug. “Just said that she wanted you to take care of things, that’s all.”

I grabbed my radio and holstered my gun, then drove down to Olympic Outfitters to assess the situation. Thankfully, it didn’t seem like much of a ruckus from the outside, until I’d realized Karen had locked the front doors. I could see her give a sigh of relief as she saw me, and let me in.

“It’s Waylon again. He’s off his rocker on the bottle and he thought he could get away with two catcher’s mitts and a Seahawks jersey,” Karen complained, stabbing her thumb in the direction of a defeated man in a chair behind the register.

I shook my head slightly. Waylon Forge was probably the worst of the town’s worries as far as I was concerned. I felt pity for him, the way he slouched forward with a frown that seemed sunk permanently into his mouth. “He didn’t damage anything, did he?”

Karen shook her head as she crossed her arms. “I’m thankin’ my lucky stars he didn’t. You were there when he bashed in that car ‘bout half a month ago with a Louisville Slugger, right?”

“Yeah, I was there,” I confirmed, stepping forward to grab the drunk by his upper arm. Pulling him to his feet, I turned my head away so I didn’t have to smell the alcohol on his breath. Before I left, though, my eyes caught sight of something rare; not many had seen Carlisle Cullen away from his job before. But there he was, watching me from the hiking section. When our gazes locked, I felt frozen for a moment until he looked away, and I was left blinking back into reality.

“You okay, Chief?” Karen asked.

At first, I checked to make sure Waylon was still there, and he was. “Yeah,” I mumbled, and I escorted him to toss in the back of the cruiser. I stayed around for another minute and saw the good doctor once more with his wife. He’d smiled at me rather warmly, and I wasn’t sure why, but I was able to get my focus back quicker and drive back to the station and place Waylon in a holding cell.

The other officers and secretaries only offered looks of pity and disappointment at the prisoner. For as many times as he’d been here, he had a strangely positive outlook. Maybe it was because, despite people feeling bad for him, he was met with backhanded kindness, but kindness nevertheless.

Waylon was safe behind bars for the day to be released tomorrow, and Maud did me the favor of calling his wife. I didn’t even make it back to my office before I was approached once more from one of the officers.

“There’s been a report that someone’s hunting down on the Quileute reservation,” he told me, his voice quiet as if he expected me to yell at him. He knew how close I was to Billy Black, as was practically common knowledge in the community, so I assumed he expected me to immediately get angry.

Instead, I just nodded. “I’ll take care of it,” I responded, and headed back out to the cruiser. At least this would give me a reason to visit the Blacks, which I always counted as a plus. The reservation was deeper in the woods without paved roads. Before I drove passed the beach to where the Blacks lived, I kept a sharp eye out for anyone in the woods.

Eventually, I stopped by an old Ford with a rifle in the back, and I turned my lights on to see if that would attract whoever was out here. I tread out about a quarter of a mile, following footsteps until I found the trespassers. Two men from Mason County down south who weren’t aware of the territory lines. They were irritated, but compliant after the threat of a fine, considering they hadn’t caught any game yet.

Once they were gone, I circled around the territory just to make sure they wouldn’t just park and set up anywhere else. Lucky for the both of us, it seemed the trespassers had wandered off for good. When I got closer to the border, though, I spotted something odd from the distance.

Stepping out of the car for a moment, I walked off the trail and found what looked like small dirt mounds at first. When I got closer, though, it seemed something had gotten a hold of some roaming deer and, to my surprise and discomfort, gave minimal effort to burying them. I brushed the dirt off with my foot and found a sizable bite on the throat on each of them.

Now, I’d seen cougars, bears, and even wolves in these woods, but they’ve never buried their prey before. They’d usually rip the thing clean of meat. I wasn’t sure of what to do, so I left the deer where they lay and continued onto Billy’s house. I wasn’t sure if it was much of a serious matter.

When I finally arrived, his son was outside wrestling in the yard with the older boy from the Uley family, but they stopped to wave at me when they saw me pulling up.

Billy wheeled himself out onto the porch. “Did you take care of those gunshots I heard?” he asked, though he had a smirk on his face.

“Yeah, it was just some yahoos from a few towns over,” I told him, waving a hand in dismissal. “Nothing to worry about.”

Billy’s smile grew. “How’s Bella likin’ her new truck? I know she’s a clunker, but Jacob did a real fine job fixing her up.”

I turned back to Jacob’s direction, who had a proud smile on his muddy face. “She loves it,” H answered when I turned back to Billy. “I can’t thank you enough. You two should come down and have dinner or something one night, come say hi to her. Might make her feel more welcome here.”

Jacob walked up from behind, dusting loose dirt from off his jacket. “Would she even remember us? It’s been...what? Five years since we saw her last?”

“It’d be a good opportunity for her to thank you,” I reminded him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “Besides, I need someone to come put snow tracks on soon.”

Billy gave half a shrug in contemplation. “I’ll get back to you on that. We don’t go down to Forks proper much these days, and I especially don’t because--” He glanced down to his wheelchair.

“I get it, Bill. But I wanted to let you know that you’re always welcome anyway.” I tapped my foot against one of his wheels playfully. “Jake should be getting his permit soon anyway, right?”

“I’m hoping so, Chief.” Jacob straightened his posture.

Billy tapped me back on my arm. “You better get outta here. Shouldn’t Bella be coming home soon?”

I nodded. “I’ll see you around, Bill.” I ruffled Jacob’s long, straight black hair before heading off once more. I wanted to be in a good mood, but I couldn’t help but wonder about why Billy seemed nervous when I mentioned coming down.

The town was quiet for the rest of the day, with the others taking patrol shifts instead. I made it home early so Bella didn’t have to be home alone for too long, but there was still a pang of guilt that I wasn’t there to welcome her when school ended.

Nevertheless, she wasn’t wrought with misery. In fact, she was more on the positive side, and greeted me with a smile from the living room.

After I hung up my belt and jacket, I sat next to her on the sofa and took a quick glance at the book she was reading--  _ Wuthering Heights _ . “What’s for dinner?” I asked, seeing that the oven was on, and there was a hearty smell in the air. I couldn’t say I was too surprised that she knew how to cook, considering Renée tried to experiment in the kitchen. It usually didn’t end well, to everyone’s misfortune. But the smell from the kitchen was simple and pleasant.

“Steak and potatoes,” she answered. She chuckled to herself when she noticed that I was relieved, and stuck a bookmark between her pages before returning to the kitchen to finish cooking.

She called me over to the table once the food was ready, and the first few minutes were quiet, just enjoying the nicely cooked meal. It was a comfortable quiet, somewhat similar to eating alone, but just beside someone else.

My curiosity got the best of me, though, and I looked up from my plate. "So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" I asked, trying not to bombard her with too much all at once.

"Well, I have a few classes with a girl named Jessica. I sit with her friends at lunch. And there's this boy, Mike, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." It was as much as I’d hoped, but I tried not to keep my expectations too high.

“That must be Mike Newton. Nice kid — nice family. His dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. He makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here.”

“Do you know the Cullen family?” she asked, awkwardly chewing on her lower lip.

“Dr. Cullen's family?” My fork sank deep into a potato, remembering that gaze that made me freeze up earlier today. “Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."

“They… the kids… are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school.”

I leaned back in my seat with my brow knotted. I didn’t know the Cullen family personally, it was hard for anyone to get to know them at all with how elusive they seemed, but I wished that Bella could have had something nicer to say about them. “Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here,” I spoke up, slightly surprised at myself.

“We're lucky to have him — lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature — I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should — camping trips every other weekend… Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk.”

I must have intimidated her with how much I talked; she was used to me being a man of few words. “They seemed nice enough to me. I just noticed they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive.” Her smile slowly returned, albeit crookedly.

“You should see the doctor.” The words escaped me without even thinking, and I laughed at myself. It was better to play it off as banter. “It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around.” Clenching my jaw, I stood up to get seconds so Bella wouldn’t notice the heat that flushed across my face.

The rest of dinner went just as quietly as it began, and Bella took it upon herself to do the dishes. I made a mental note to try looking into buying a dishwasher, although the chances of me remembering in the near future were slim. I just retreated to the living room to watch the game before bed.


	3. open book

The next day, I made sure Waylon was picked up by his wife, and I had to listen to the verbal onslaught she gave him about his behavior, and how she was going to force him to apologize to the Newtons for making both of them look like fools. I took it upon myself to calm her down before they both left, lest she make a domestic situation that really needed me to step in. I could tell why the poor guy drank so much, but it wasn’t much of my business.

An hour later, I got another call that made Maud roll her eyes. I could already tell who was asking for my help, specifically.

“Ginerva?” I sighed.

“Ginerva,” Maud confirmed. “She won’t see any other officers besides you.”

I already knew this, and the reminder didn’t make it any better. I took my keys and left the station with regret. Ginerva, or Gigi, as she tried to identify as to make herself sound more ‘exotic’, was a single woman who opened her house to stray animals. Her M.O. was calling me down to her house to look further into which neighbor stole her handmade garden stones, or which roughian knocked off some paneling from her roof. And once that was over, she’d try to coerce me to stay for tea or whatever baked good she’d just happen to be busying herself with.

I always got a lot of flack from the others whenever they got caught up on her latest scheme. It was funny to them, and I could understand why, but it was terribly annoying and somewhat sad every time I look back on it. I’ve never recovered from Reneé. Ginerva was absolutely not going to fix that for me.

She was already waiting for me on her front step, in a gaudy long dress and her hair curled. She wore her makeup like a washed-up drug store model from the 70s, and she gave me a wide smile, meeting me halfway down her walkway.

“Chief Swan! Oh, I’m so glad you could take time out of your very busy schedule to--”

“What’s the problem this time, Ginerva?” I did my best not to be rude, but I did have a rough morning and my patience was already worn thin for the day.

Nevertheless, she brushed it off with what I’m sure she thought was a charming chuckle. It sounded more like a frog’s mating call. “Please, you know you can call me Gigi.”

I clenched my jaw and gave her a tight lipped smile. “What can I help you with?”

“Well-- you see, I know you’re probably going to be a little upset.” I already was. “There’s been a murder most foul. I’ve been nursing an injured deer, and before you tell me that it’s illegal to keep deer, I know. But I was planning on letting the poor thing go!”

“Ginerva, you don’t have a veterinary degree or certifications. You shouldn’t be doing this.” I reminded her.

She looked down and folded her hands in front of her. “I know. You gonna take me down to the station, Chief?”

“Is  _ that _ what you called me down here for?”

“No. No, not quite. The injury in question-- it was a bite on its shoulder, and get this, Chief.” She leaned in closer, making the scent of her essential oils overbearing. “The bite mark is human shaped!”

My thoughts reeled back to the small group of deer I found buried near the reservation. So this was an ongoing thing.

“We’ve been looking into other incidents like this, so you don’t need to worry. But you gotta let that deer go.” I shifted back a few inches. “If I catch you with it anywhere near your property, I’m gonna call the ASPCA. Got it?”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry. I’m remorsed to say that the deer lost its battle not but this morning,” she told me.

I nodded. “Well, then, I’ll get it out of here for you.”

Her eyes lit up with opportunity that made me immediately regret my choice of words. “Well, while you’re here, I just put some coffee on and I have a lot of scones leftover from breakfast. Want to come in for a spell? I promise the cats are well-behaved this time.”

“I’m still on duty, I can’t stay.” It was my excuse every time she asked me something like this.

“What about dinner?” She followed me as I made my way into her backyard to take a look at the deer for myself.

Kneeling down beside the corpse, I looked at the bite mark myself. She was right; it wasn’t like any animal attack I’ve seen before. “Oh, uh...I’m sorry. My daughter just came in from Phoenix and I don’t want her to be alone.”

“Chief, you’re so sweet.” Her voice oozed with honey. “Well, if she ever needs a good meal, you can always give me a call.”

I stood back up and brushed off my khakis. “Thanks, Ginerva. I’ll call in a truck and get this taken care of in an hour or so.” Before she could say anything else, I got back to my car and drove off as professionally as I could.

On my way back, I thought back to Bella and took a longer route to drive passed my house. I felt guilty that I was leaving her all alone during the weekend, but when I stopped beside the curb, I saw her truck was gone. All the lights were off as well, so I figured she went out with her new friends. She was fine, she was acclimating well and being social. In relief, I drove back to the station.

Monday came with the first snow of the season, and with the snow came someone who thought they could speed through a red light. I drove down to assess the front of a Camry smashed into a telephone pole, making sure the driver involved made it safely into the ambulance. People still stayed around to watch, and some witnesses to the actual crashed were just checked over for shock or any injuries from when the headlights broke and glass flew yards ahead.

I followed the EMTs to the hospital, another patroller staying behind with the tow truck that showed up. I didn’t want to get too much in the way, so I opted to stay outside of the ER until the driver was clear to go. I should have expected to be greeted by a familiar face, but somehow I was still surprised to see Dr. Cullen walk up with a clipboard in his hands.

He smiled again at me, and stopped a foot away. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Chief,” he told me, his tone pleasant. Was he actually happy to see me here?

“Standard procedure,” I explained bluntly at first, relieved that I was able to keep a straight face. “I’m just making sure I’ve got everything to file out later.”

“Lucky for you, there’s not too much you need to worry about.” He was intentionally vague for the patient’s sake, I knew.

I didn’t push further about the damage done. Not that I could focus that much, anyway, until I caught myself gazing at his features that seemed  _ too _ perfect, and I blinked out of it. “There’s always a few accidents every year, especially during the beginning,” I said to break the silence.

Dr. Cullen gave a soft hum; it almost sounded musical. “I heard your daughter finally arrived last week. How’s school treating her?” he asked, turning his eyes to the patient chart.

“Good. At least, that’s what she tells me,” I responded, smiling more. “She, uh, mentioned that she met your kids. I hope that meant she got along alright with them. You’ve got a good family.”

“Thanks very much.” Dr. Cullen gave a closed smile, which somehow he made look natural. “Knowing the good work you do around here, I’m sure Isabella’s a great addition to the community.”

“Bella,” I corrected him quietly, “she just goes by Bella.”

“Oh, sorry.” There was a beat of silence, and Dr. Cullen lifted his face to look at the double doors in front of us. “Will you be around for much longer? I’m going on my break in fifteen minutes.”

My eyes widened in shock. “The paperwork can wait an hour or two,” I answered automatically, and I stood back and breathed deeply. My pulse hadn’t doubled, but it was certainly faster.

The fifteen minutes that I waited felt like days, but it turned out that Dr. Cullen was able to crunch fifteen into thirteen, as if he wanted to talk to me as soon as he could. He made me a cup of coffee, but not one for himself, and I noticed he’d forgotten to take off his gloves, despite them being clean. For a doctor, I was surprised that he seemed to have an aversion to touch.

“I must admit, I never knew you had a daughter until a few weeks ago, Chief,” he told me once we sat down on the bench outside the hospital, protected by a glass pavilion.

I shrugged. “I suppose I was just used to everyone knowing. We don’t get newcomers that often,” I responded before lightly sipping the coffee. It was sweeter than I’d preferred, but I didn’t refuse the kind gesture.

“Is it alright to ask where she lived before coming here?” Dr. Cullen seemed more gentle with the question.

I was somewhat afraid he was going to ask, but I wasn’t going to be rude and turn him away. “Her mother lived down in Phoenix, but her new boyfriend travels for his job. Bella likes to be more stable, I guess.”

“Military?” he guessed.

“Baseball,” I scoffed.

His features softened, and there was a soft gleam in his golden--  _ really _ golden eyes. Eyes were not naturally that shade of yellow. “Nevertheless, Bella is very lucky to be with you now. I’ve seen the work you do around here. I particularly enjoyed when you were one of the judges for that log sculpture contest last year.”

I scratched the back of my head. “Oh, man, you saw that?” I asked, laughing nervously.

“There are some very talented people with a chainsaw.” It almost seemed like he wanted to grin, but he stopped himself.

“Yeah, I guess so.” I kept myself from smiling at his voice by sipping more coffee. “Thanks for this, by the way.”

Dr. Cullen nodded to me, then glanced down to his watch. “We should probably be getting back to the grind. Thanks for staying to chat.”

“My pleasure,” I almost went in for a handshake, but I ended up giving him a light pat on the shoulder before standing up. My hand stiffened as it retreated to my side, hoping I didn’t cross a boundary.

Dr. Cullen didn’t give any sign of discomfort, and he watched me as I walked back to the cruiser. I turned to look at him once I was in the car, but he was gone. I blinked in confusion, but I tried not to think too hard about it, and I savored the next sip of coffee.

Maud took notice right away that I was chipper. “You just excited that you had something worth going out for, Chief?” she asked, leaning her chin in her hand.

I looked back to her in surprise. “Yeah, I guess so. It’s boring in this office,” I teased her, “Dunno how you stand it.”   
  
“The paycheck,” she answered with a snicker, and let me get back to my office.

As good as I was feeling, anxiety was also festering in the pit of my chest, as if I wasn’t allowed to be this happy. But that didn’t make sense to me; I always had a good time with the force on bar nights, or during the small festivals here. I didn’t know why I felt wrong this time, and eventually the anxiety won.

When I got home at dark, I was more quiet than usual. Bella didn’t seem to mind, fortunately, and after dinner, I did dishes to keep my head clear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy hecc, i didn't expect the positive feedback i got from the first chapter! thank you guys so much for taking interest in this haha <3
> 
> im gonna post the chapters on a weekly basis, i think, i already have a lot of the chapters written, but i wanna take my time and do this fic right, thanks again for everyone that's ready so far!!


	4. phenomenon

I woke up before the sky was light, for what felt like the fifth time over the whole night. Instead of continuing to toss and turn, I took advantage of the morning by taking the snow chains Jacob had given me for the truck, and I installed them for Bella before she got up for school. After that, I tossed my uniform on and got to work. I tried to remain more quiet than I was yesterday, considering my strange mood yesterday.

Little did I know that it wasn’t a good day to keep to myself. Since Bella moved in, I always had a nagging voice telling me that every phone call that came in was going to be about her. My common sense knew that was highly unlikely. Then, the caller ID on my office phone was Forks High School.

My heart dropped before I picked up the phone, but I tried to remain professional. “Chief Swan,” I answered as firmly as I could.

“Chief, I just want you to know that Bella is alright. But--” the principal started to say.

“But what?” I cut him off.

There was a sigh on the other end of the line. “There was an accident in the parking lot, her truck was hit. An ambulance is arriving now.”

My ears started ringing at the word ‘ambulance’. I took a deep breath and stood up, the phone still pressed to my ear. “I’m on my way.” I hung up quickly and raced out to the cruiser without stopping to answer any questions. I tried my best not to speed down to the hospital, though my hands were shaking.

When I parked, I hung my head low. The realization hit me that I had to tell Renée, and with another moment to gather myself, I pulled my phone out and called her. The first time, it went to voicemail, so I called her a second time.

“Charlie?” she asked. I don’t know why she was surprised that she still had my number saved, but that thought was thwarted when she caught onto the reason for calling immediately. “Where’s Bella? Is she alright??”

I pushed my hair back as I stared out the window at the hospital. “Yeah, I’m about to visit her in the ER--”

“Oh, my god! What happened? Do I need to come down there?” Her panic was contagious, unfortunately.

I managed to keep myself together. “She’s okay, Renée. I swear,” I assured her, “I’ll have her call you in a bit. I think some car just slid on the ice, but I was told she’s-- please don’t cry.” I sighed as I listened to her burst into tears, pressing my forehead against the glass of the window. “Renée, she’s okay. You hear me?”   
  
She sniffled. “Okay, Charlie. You take care of her,” she demanded.

“I always do,” My voice softened, and the sinking feeling in my chest intensified. She shouldn’t have to remind me, but I knew how she got. She only meant well. “She’ll talk to you soon. I’m gonna make sure of it.”

“Thank you. Go check on her.”

“Yeah,” I told her, then listened to her hang up first. With another sigh, I rubbed the moisture out of the corner of my eye, and I hurried back into the ER. This time, I actually entered the room and approached the two occupied beds. Bella sat on the bed closest to the window, and beside her was Tyler Crowley, whom I assumed was the one who almost killed my daughter. He seemed more beat up that Bella was, though, and I hated to admit I was relieved for it.

Bella’s cheeks flushed red when she saw me come forward. “I'm completely fine, Char — Dad. There's nothing wrong with me.”

“I’m really sorry, Bella!” Tyler spoke up, trying to hold still as a bandage was plastered to his forehead. “I tried to stop--”

“It’s really okay,” Bella tried to dismiss him.

I couldn’t believe she’d said that. “It sure as hell is not okay!” I chided back at her.

Bella couldn’t look me in the eye. “Dad,” she mumbled, “it’s not his fault.”

“We nearly lost you...” I moved an inch closer, and I wanted to take her in my arms to make sure that she really was present. I understood that the kids at school were all hanging around, and she was embarrassed enough. That being said, I didn’t have to care about Tyler’s reputation. “You can kiss your license goodbye.” I stared him down. It definitely relieved some of the panic.

The doors opened again, and the air of the room seemed lighter with the arrival of Dr. Cullen. He walked up to Bella first, and I stepped back to give him his space. He seemed a little more stiff when he worked. “So, Miss Swan.” He glanced over her. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” It was apparent she was tired of telling people that.

Dr. Cullen was gentle as he pressed in precise spots around her skull, only stopping when she winced. “Tender?” he asked.

“Not really.” She glowered as she turned her gaze away.

Tyler leaned forward. “I’m so sorry, Bella, I’m really--”

I yanked the curtain between their beds to shut him up. Dr. Cullen seemed silently amused with me.

“It would have been a lot worse if Edward hadn’t knocked me out of the way.” Bella finally seemed to soften up, yet her timidness remained.

I shifted my weight. “Edward? Your boy?” I asked.

Dr. Cullen avoided saying anything at first, looking back down at Bella’s chart.

Bella’s eyes lit up more. “It was amazing how he got to me so fast. He was nowhere near me.”

When she tried to get back on her feet, both Dr. Cullen and myself stopped her.

“We still have a few tests to run before we release you from here.” Dr. Cullen picked up his clipboard from the edge of her bed to look over her chart. “We’ll run a cranial nerve exam just to make extra sure nothing’s damaged, but if all goes well, you could be out of here by tonight.”

Bella sighed, her posture slagging as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “When can I go back to school?”

“I’d personally suggest you give yourself two days to rest,” he told her with concern.

I made sure that Bella wasn’t overwhelmed and I rubbed her back, though it was good to see she had so much support. I could tell that her gaze fixated, though, and I spotted Edward in the distance.

“Can you give me a minute?” she asked the small crowd, including myself.

I stepped into the hall so she could have a private chat with her rescuer, assuming she wanted to thank him. Upon contemplation, the moment I saw Dr. Cullen follow behind me a short distance, I pulled him aside.

He seemed shocked at first, but met me with his usual smile. “I’m relieved Bella didn’t come to much harm. She’ll probably be right as rain in a day or two. Just keep some ice on the back of her head.”

I smiled back, with my head lowered. “I owe Edward a lot, and you,” I told him quietly, and found myself stammering for a moment. “Could I...could I offer you a beer or something? I owe you. Really.”

Dr. Cullen’s posture relaxed. “That’s very kind of you, Chief, but I’m afraid I don’t drink.”

I bit my tongue. “Is there any way I could thank you?”

“I’m afraid I don’t want to steal my son’s credit, but I’m very grateful for your offer. Just make sure Bella gets the rest and home care she needs.” He pat me on the shoulder, only his hand stayed there for a few extra seconds. I could still feel the pressure there when he pulled away. “There’s some paperwork for you at the front desk. I’ll see you around, Chief Swan.”

I almost felt like I was dismissed, but I shut my thoughts up before they got out of control. Before I left, I wanted to talk to Bella again. There was still the matter about her mother, after all.

I passed by Edward on my way back to her bed, and only caught a glimpse of his contemplative expression. She seemed frustrated when I approached her again, though I couldn’t blame her. I wondered if she was going to voice her thoughts, but she just huffed with a shake of her head.

I pulled my cellphone from my pocket. Best to break the news to her up front. “You have to call Renée,” I told her timidly, holding the phone out to her. I wasn’t sure where hers was, assuming that a nurse was holding it until her discharge.

Bella gawped. “You told her?!” As if she expected me to keep secrets.

I shrugged, then watched as she sighed heavily and took my phone. “Honey, she’s your mother. Of course she’s gonna be worried about you,” I tried to reason with her.

Bella closed her eyes with a soft huff. She was quiet for another moment, long enough to make me pretty anxious. The last thing I wanted to do was drive a wedge further between us, and I could only hope she’d understand. “Thanks,” she grumbled.

It was enough for me. I knew I had to get back to work, and it was clear she didn’t want to be around me as she talked to her mother. She was a teenager, this was normal behavior. “She’s safe and alive,” I reminded myself aloud after I finally made my way to the front desk for that paperwork.

After my shift, I picked her up from the hospital. Everything turned out better than expected, and she was calmer than the state I’d left her in. The ride home was still almost too quiet, but that wasn’t unusual. I made her canned chicken noodle soup that night, and I could tell she was irritated that I was checking on her almost every hour. Her feelings were forgivable, but it was still too difficult to get a good night’s sleep.


	5. shadows

I made Bella stay home the next day, much to her dismay. I was expecting the day to go quietly, but there was more arguing and bitterness instead.

“I don’t need to be nursed,” she stated harshly.

Surely, she must have known that I only wanted what was best for her. It’s what Renée would have wanted, anyway, and it was for my own peace of mind that she was at least close by. “I won’t bother you much. Just try to stay in bed as much as possible today,” I tried to bargain with her, keeping my eyes diverted from her direction.

“Everyone’s going to talk about me now.” She crossed her arms.

I squinted at first, wondering why she seemed bitter at the fact people were concerned for her safety. “I’m sure this would probably make you popular.” I hoped that would make her feel a little better.

Her expression was unreadable, and she turned around to stomp back upstairs.

I was right, as it turned out. When she returned to school, every day she’d come home overwhelmed with the amount of people that tried to talk to her more. As a man of my word, I never added to the stress and kept a safe distance with quiet dinners and nights spent in front of the TV while she locked herself away in her room, but it worked. I hoped that she considered me safe or comforting, because guilt ate away at me for being distant.

Two weeks passed, and she was surprised to see me in the kitchen one morning, cleaning up from my breakfast. “Why aren’t you at work?” she croaked, rubbing an eye.

“I’m just getting ready to go down to Mason County,” I explained, “There’s been a murder down at the mill, apparently some sort of animal got in there. They asked me to assist.”

Her brow knotted. “An animal?"

I grabbed my jacket to toss on. “You’re not in Phoenix anymore, Bells. I’m going to be late for dinner.”

She brushed her hair behind her ear, then nodded. “Alright. Be safe.”

I smiled back at her with a nod. “Always am.” Without another word, I left and started my drive down to the scene.

I’d never actually been to the Grisham steel mill before; it was an old building. From what I remember, it was a family-owned business and the boys that worked there were all about as close as brothers would be. The ones that lingered around were all grey in the face with their heads hung low. 

By the time I got there, the body had already been taken to a morgue. The county detective was in charge, and I wasn’t about to get in his way. If anyone from Forks had suffered such a fatality, I knew how stern I would be about the situation.

The air inside the mill was surprisingly cold and musty. It was probably standard procedure for everything to be shut down for the investigation’s sake, but it only added the eeriness to it all. As we split up into teams, I started to wonder if this was actually an investigation, or a hunt.

To my relief, there were no questionable noises. Any sound I wasn’t used to ended up being old pipes or wires, or could be accredited from someone else. There was no animal to be found, but I heard tale from the local officers that this was the fifth report around Washington in recent weeks.

The first floor of the mill was completely clean, as was the second. The third was where the kill took place, and everyone grew a lot more nervous. The thing was, there were really no signs of an animal. No scratch marks, no fur or animal blood left behind. I think that’s what spooked the others most.

I stayed around the mill until the evening and I was told there wasn’t much else I could offer. I had a lot to think about on the way home, though, about this murder. If the victim was bitten to death, sharp teeth and everything, what sort of creature could be lurking around? I felt crazy for imagining this to be something out of a monster movie.

My thoughts returned to Billy for a moment, and the tales that his tribe grew up on. He was a sole believer in whatever monsters his parents had told him, so did I have to keep an open mind?

It was well past dark when I finally returned home, but I was surprised to see Bella still up. She was still at the dinner table, finishing up what looked like some sort of pasta with white sauce. She stood up when she noticed me, wringing her hands.

“Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Seattle for the day a week from Saturday… if that's okay?” This was unexpected.

“Why?” Seattle was three and a half hours away, and she was hardly even familiar with this small town yet.   


“Well, I wanted to get a few books — the library here is pretty limited — and maybe look at some clothes.” 

I grew more nervous for her safety. “That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage.”

“I know, I'll stop in Montesano and Olympia — and Tacoma if I have to.”

“Are you going all by yourself?” That’s what worried me the most.

“Yes.”

Damn it. “Seattle is a big city — you could get lost.”

“Dad, Phoenix is five times the size of Seattle — and I can read a map, don't worry about it.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” I offered, my voice softening.

I understood my question would make her cringe the way she did, but that didn’t mean it hurt any less. “That's all right, Dad, I'll probably just be in dressing rooms all day — very boring.”

“Oh, okay.” I sighed, shrugging my jacket off to hang it by its usual spot at the door. I knew in the back of my head that me hanging around girl shops would make us both uncomfortable in the long run.

“Thanks.” She smiled when she got her way.

I just nodded to her and headed straight upstairs to brush my teeth and get to bed. The investigation had me beat.

The next day, I was taken aback when I had a visitor. Mrs. Cullen stepped into my office and closed the door.

Part of me was scared, but that was mostly drowned out by the curiosity as to why she was in my office. “I hope you don’t mind me stopping by,” she said calmly, setting her purse in her lap after she sat across from my desk.

“Yeah--” I was at a loss for words at first. I rarely got visitors as it were, let alone from the elusive Cullen family. Her pallor was exactly like the good doctor’s, but her jawline was softer. I did my best not to keep eye contact with her for too long, even though I did notice that there was that moon-yellow color to her irises as well. “--Of course. What can I do for you?”

She breathed in sharply, gripping the top of her purse. “I understand that you’ve crossed paths with my husband a few times. I’m very relieved that your daughter is safe, after that incident at school...but I came here to warn you.”

I leaned forward, folding my hands.

“Please try to keep your distance from Carlisle. It’s for your own good.”

It took me a solid minute to process that, while silence thickened the air. “I beg your pardon?” I eventually asked.

“He is a good and kind man, but I believe it’s in your best interest if you just remain acquaintances.” She seemed sincere enough, but I felt a pinch of anger in her voice.

I was aghast. Even though I wasn’t usually so vocal, she still had me at a loss for words. All the questions in my head seemed to jam in the back of my throat. The way Dr. Cullen’s made my chest tighten kept me up at night, but now I was afraid to question if I was just putting him on a pedestal.

“Do you understand me, Chief Swan?” she asked. The silence must have been dragging on too long.

I blinked, then tried to relax my shoulders a bit. “Yes. I hear you.” My head was swimming. “Can I ask if everything is alright...at home?”

She lowered her head. She was getting frustrated with me. “I only came down here to...protect you. Maybe you should see your friend Mr. Black soon.”

“Billy?”

When she looked at me again, she gave a slow nod.

I didn’t know what to believe at this point. Her vagueness did nothing to settle my nerves, and part of me felt it was my obligation as a police chief to investigate further. The fact that she even mentioned my personal friend had me hooked. “Why Billy?”

She smiled at me sadly before she stood up. “Your town values you,” she told me, and nothing else.

I blinked, and got to my feet as well. I didn’t know why, considering my confusion was only stronger. “Mrs. Cullen, you do know that you can tell me if anything  _ is _ wrong, correct? My duty is to serve and protect.”

She nodded. “Thank you, I appreciate that very much.”

I escorted her out to the front door and put on my best face for everyone else. Thankfully, they were all too busy with other things, but I was somewhat angry at myself that I was distracted for the rest of the day.

Was Dr. Cullen some sort of vicious killer parading around as a beautiful savior? The more I thought about it, the more I became afraid, but I wanted to know more than anything. I put a sticky note near the bottom of my computer monitor, just with ‘CARLISLE CULLEN’ on it and nothing more.

Unfortunately, there were other things that required more of my attention, but I wasn’t going to let this get swept under the rug.


	6. blood type

Two days passed and Mrs. Cullen’s voice was still in the back of my head. I was lucky that I was able to bury my concern so nobody would ask what was wrong with me, but every time that I went out in the town, I subconsciously looked for any sign of either of them. I kept telling myself it was contradictory, considering how I was told to stay away.

My shift ended in the afternoon, thankfully on a Sunday. I was just in time to take Bella to lunch to save her from cooking for once. It was a small corner diner on Main Street, a place I frequented almost every night before she came to live with me.   


“I haven’t seen the likes of you in a long time!” the owner teased me, and her face lit up once she recognized Bella. “And you! You’ve grown up so beautifully!”

“Thanks, Cora. She don’t remember much from the town, though.” I handed back the menu. The staff here already knew what I wanted.

“The people here are...really nice,” Bella added, “I’ll just have the cod. Thanks.” She was getting uncomfortable with the stares from everyone else.

I folded my hands on the table. “Didn’t expect you to be such a celebrity. You were big news when they heard you were coming up here from Phoenix.”

She let her hair fall from behind her ear, shifting in her seat. “It’s not that big of a deal. Really.”

“I know.” Bella was like me in that regard; she didn’t like much attention. I sympathized with her. “They won’t bug you, though.”

She rubbed the back of her neck. A sign of anxiety, I was sure.

“Is it the same at school?” I asked, “Do a lot of the kids stare at you?”

“At first, they did. I guess the whole ‘new girl’ fame settled down eventually, though a lot of boys still try to talk to me.” She still didn’t look up. There wasn’t a hint of a smile on her face, either. “And then when the accident happened, it only got worse.”

“Are they being mean to you?”

“No, no. Actually, the opposite, for some reason.” She rolled her eyes. “Mike is probably the most prolific of them.”

I leaned back. “Mike Newton? I know his parents, and he’s never gotten in trouble, as far as I’m concerned. Heard he was pretty good at basketball.”

“I mean, he’s  _ okay _ . He can just be a lot.”

Cora set our plates down in front of us. I immediately grabbed my knife to cut my sirloin steak.

“Have you talked to Edward at all? After the--” It was still difficult to talk about. “--you know.”

She poked at her side salad. “Uh, yeah. Sometimes. He and his family don’t talk to other people, though, so I try not to bother him.”

I didn’t know all that much about the family besides their clean records and Dr. Cullen’s shining reputation. A flash of Mrs. Cullen shot through my mind, contradicting my previous thought of the good doctor, but I didn’t want to bring it up. Even still, I couldn’t shake the eyes of either parent out of my thoughts. “We should make something for the family. Just as a thank-you gift.” My voice wavered slightly. I hoped Bella hadn’t noticed.

“That sounds good.” Bella tried to avoid talking more by stuffing her mouth with lettuce.

Not another word was said about it, even after we finished eating. I didn’t know whether to be disappointed that Bella would rather be ungrateful to her rescuer, or to be relieved. Then again, this could have been an opportunity to see Dr. Cullen again. I was itching to get another chance to know what the hell his wife was talking about.

It was only after half my steak was gone that the silence had dragged on again. “Your mom wants you to call her.” I thought it was best to change the subject.

Bella sighed and stabbed a slice of her cod. “I’m fine. She knows I’m fine.”

“You know how she worries.” I cleared my throat. “But she’s getting better. Betcha Phil’s keeping her head straight.”

I had no idea why I said that. I could feel the loneliness burn through my veins, if only for a moment. When I made eye contact with Bella again, I’m sure she knew how much I regret my words, but nothing else was said.

Even when we left for home, it was hard to pick the conversation back up. I immediately pulled into the driveway, and she just got out of the car and pulled her cellphone out. I watched her unlock the front door and step inside safely, still not having moved out of the driver’s seat.

Instead, I thrust my mind back into memories of Renée. I still saw her smile in Bella, her warm nature in the rare days the sun was out. I didn’t know how long I sat in my car, but all I realized was that I couldn’t let myself fall too far down this rabbit hole of memories.

And yet I did. The next day was the town’s annual blood drive. I was only there for security’s sake, as I typically did for every event, but I couldn’t have been any less out of focus. I was completely zoned out at the sign-in table beside one of the town council members and a blood drive manager, too immersed in trying not to imagine how Renée used to volunteer at these things before Bella was born.

I really only stayed in the moment enough to respond to people, and in the back of my mind I hoped nobody would ask if I was okay. I moreso hoped that everyone was used to my more grumpy demeanor to mind their own business. I must have been like that for hours, as tables and pop-up beds started to blur with the constant movement of people. Nothing seemed to shake me from my melancholy.

Until I realized who else was here, of course. I should have known. Dr. Cullen was at the farthest station from the entrance, but once I noticed him, his presence just filled the room. I wasn’t sure if it was out of excitement or dread. All I knew in that moment was that I was no longer distracted with remorse.

Still, I had to wait until the drive was actually wrapping up in order to approach him. Even then, something in my gut told me it was a bad idea. No-- his wife’s voice was echoing in the back of my head. And despite her warning, my feet continued forward as he was packing up his station. Yet, as he looked up and met my gaze, I was captivated by a warm and inviting smile.

“I thought it was you over there.” His voice almost seemed like it was in a teasing tone.

I glanced away. “Yeah, the town events are sorta important to me. I’m usually there.”

“You really are a chief this town can depend on.” Carlisle continued to busy himself with his task as he talked. “Before I put everything away for good, do you want to make a donation yourself?”

I couldn’t place my finger on it, but something about the way he lowered his voice, softened it as he asked me that specific question, it got me tongue-tied. And that’s when I finally noticed his eyes-- they weren’t the unusual golden-yellow that kept me second guessing. It seemed that all light had been drained from his irises, leaving what must have been the darkest shade of brown. People couldn’t have had black eyes, unless my own were deceiving me.

“Chief?” Carlisle gracefully waved his hand over my face. “You there?”

Without thinking, I took a step back, but I nodded at his question. “I want to talk to you, if you got time.” Turning back, I double checked to make sure nobody else was in hearing range of us.

Carlisle’s smile faded, but he didn’t seem upset. “A little bird told me Esme visited you. My apologies if she gave you a fright.”

“Listen, Carlisle--” I didn’t expect my own voice to be so stiff, and I took a deep breath to calm down. Surely this whole strange debacle wasn’t as dramatic as my subconscious was making it out to be. “--Sorry. I don’t want to interfere with you or your wife. I know you’ve done Forks a lot of good, you and your family. But if she says it’s better to steer clear of you...I think I deserve to know why.”

Carlisle straightened his posture, snapping his bag quietly closed. “Esme has a good heart, she cares about the townspeople as much as I do. You, a little more than most.”

I swore I imagined him winking. I wasn’t prepared to get flustered in front of other people.

“Our situation is unique. We have a condition, all of us Cullens. It’s really the reason why we’re really a family, because of this rare situation.”

“Does Billy know anything about this?” I don’t know why I asked that after the words slipped out of my mouth, but I do remember Esme bringing him up. I wanted to think Billy didn’t keep things from me, but he had to have a good reason for having whatever involvement in this.

Carlisle was contemplative. “You’ve been friends with Billy for a while, if I’m correct. He’s probably told you old stories about wolves. Right?”

I sighed. “Yeah. His ancestors had shapeshifting powers. What, is that what you’re trying to tell me? You’re secretly a wolf or something?”

He shook his head. “No, but--”

It was frustrating to see him hold back, but I could tell he was just as careful speaking about whatever this ‘condition’ was with other ears in the room. Still, I didn’t want his eyes searching the room. I wanted him to look at me.

“Carlisle.” I grabbed his wrist to give a light tug, but then I immediately let him go. “Jesus, you’re cold as a corpse.”

This was probably the first time I’ve noticed Carlisle looking nervous. He grabbed his coat to toss it on. “It’s getting late, and Bella must be waiting for you,” he told me, forcing a smile to return. “Give Mr. Black my best regards. We’ll talk again, Charlie. Have a good night.”

“Carlisle!” I tried to keep my voice hushed, but he was gone quicker than I could register. I blinked a few times, then tried to look around the room for him. I was pissed that I was left with even more questions, and I didn’t dare to make any assumptions. Clearly, things were a lot weirder than I expected, but what concerned me most was how much danger was lurking right out of the corner of my vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to everyone who's been reading so far!!! i really didn't expect this to get as much attention as it's got, and i really appreciate all the kind comments you've been leaving behind 💖🥰


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